10 Tips For The Best Kid Birthday Party Ever (Slideshow)

To help you pull off the best birthday party for your kid, we pulled together a list of 11 must-follow tips that will make party planning a lot easier!

Choosing a theme is a great place to start when it comes to planning the best bash possible. Whether you are inspired by the little one's favorite movie (Frozen, anyone?) or toy, picking a central theme will allow you to use creativity to cater the rest of the party to your needs around one central idea. 

Every good party needs good food. And this is where you need to stretch your creative muscles to come up with a complete, inventive menu. Say Frozen is the theme. Include some "melted snow" to drink (water) and some frozen treats. If your theme is less specific, come up with fun names for all of your foods and drinks to fit it and label them so guests will know!

If you want to throw an amazing kids' party, you have to have games. Children get antsy if they aren't provided with some sort of entertainment. Games are interactive and give them a chance to play and have fun. Play some traditional party games like pin the tail on the donkey or musical chairs, or have a piñata. 

Most people are familiar with that scene in Parenthood where Steve Martin dresses as Cowboy Gil after his booked entertainment doesn't show up. It is safe to say that entertainment is key to party success, regardless of the type. Folks are hiring character lookalikes, balloon artists, and out-of-this-world face painters. Go with what fits your theme and do it up right.

It can be hard to keep up with all of the details when you've got party planning happening. But adding those last finishing touches will make you stand out. Beautiful decorations, adorable invitations, a well-thought-out itinerary for games and entertainment; these things will keep your party from being boring.

Group activities are a fun way to keep the kids occupied while still having them interact with each other. Consider your theme then plan a craft around it. Crafting tends to keep children busy and gives them something they can take home to show mom and dad. Or just have interactive food stations, like a safe fondue that allows the kids to get a little hands-on with their food. Just don't send the kids home a mess!

Food is always important but you can make your party stand out with amazing drinks, too. Fruit juice and water is great for a kid's party but change it up a little by mixing up a few different juices. Try a combo of pineapple and orange juice with a splash of seltzer to give it some fizz. And be sure to get fancy glasses. Nothing makes a child feel more special than drinking from a fancy glass.

Have you ever been to a party where the music was terrible? And then you always remember that party as being boring and drab? Keep that in mind when throwing a party, even for kids. Of course, since it is geared towards children, new and child-friendly music is always a plus. As much as it pains us parents to listen, Kidz Bop always has lively tunes that are appropriate and upbeat.

Now, of course the pièce de résistance to any party is the cake. No one is saying you need to call up Duff from Ace of Cakes to bake something for you, but it is definitely a touch when you have an amazing cake. Bakeries now make more fancy, specialty cakes than ever, so give your local one a call and see what they can arrange for your bash.

Having a takeaway gift will make your party memorable in children's minds. Goodie bags aren't anything new but you can update them and give them a new spin: toss some light-up jewelry in or a fun activity like a game they can use at home.